Journal-bearing



L. D. GREGG.

JOURNAL BEARING. APPLICATION HL'ED DEC. 2. I918.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

"T (ill who in it may concern LOU IS D. GREGG, 0F HAOKENSACK, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREGG COMPANY,

LIMITED, OF HAOKENSACK, JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

consular-BEA NG.

Be it known'that I, Louis D. GREGG; a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident f Hackensack,' New Jersey, whose post-ofliceaddress is %"TherGregg omp'any; Ltd, Hacken sack, N. "J.-,) haveinvented a new and useful Improvement-in V Journal-Bearings, whichinvention is fully set forth in'the following specification,

Although the present invention is applicable to various-services, yetitis intended primarily for providing a reliable bearing for theend-t'hrust of car-wheel journals.

The object'of the invention 'is toprovide an 15 .eflicient journalbox,with a removable pillow -block or bearing, anda positive endthrustbearing, whilepermitting-ready access to the interior of thebox,as.for'lubrication or other purpose. The invention comprises theprovision, upon the journalbox, of one or more fixed bearing-surfaces,and the employment therewith of a'cover or cap which can 'receiveg'theend-thrust of the journal and transmit the same positively anddirectlyagainst the fixed surface or surfaces aforesaid, and ,yet is.readily disengageable therefrom. The invention further comprisesprovision .for inserting and retaining the half-bushingor pillow-blockfor the journal; a1so, an' improved form of automatic latch forretaining the cap in its closed position, for permitting it to bereadily lifted or opened, a'nd,for maintaining it in its openedposition;-and, finally, such de tails of construction and'arrangementas: are hereinafter set forth in the appended claims.

The invention is susceptible of embodiment in variousconcrete forms;"yet, for the sake of clearne'ss, one preferred embodiment isillustrated in the "annexed drawings and will now be described; In thesedrawings:

Figure llis a longitudinalvertioal Section through the new 'journal box,showingthe journal and the pillow-blockin position and thethrust-bearing cap closed. V

Fig. 2 is a similarview of-a detail, showing said cap in open position;and

I Fig. 3 is an end-view of the journal-box, with the journal removed,the cap omitted, and the pillow-blockdropped down. 1

The outerrportion of'the car-axleis rep resented at '1; and at 2 is{shown'its cylindrical spindleor journal, of unvarying diameter, andwith no shoulder or collar. 3 represents the newjournal-box as awhole;

and 4 .isthe usual. pedestal integral there-V Specification of LettersPatent.

end of the journal-box is open,

slightly in-turned) bearing-surface.

from the outer end of the upper surf Patented 066.4, 1921.

a iic tion filed December 2, 1918. Serial No. 265,014.

with,;for supporting the car-body. The

journalsbox is chambered out; the lower portionof the'chamber affords aspace for lubricating-waste, etc., and-theupper portion ablock-receiving space, whose roof is indicated (by dotted linesfin Fig.3) as "squared or otherwise non-cylindrical, to prevent angular movementof the pillow-block. The inner end of the journal-box is apertured toreceive the journal, the aperture being slightly enlarged vertically (asusual) to permit the usual vertical play. The outer V and is providedw1th the-upturned lower lip 5, which constitutes asubstantially-vertical '(yet Pref- 'erably, another upturned lip 6 mayrise ace of the box, to provide a second'vertical ibearingsurface.

On each side of the upper. portion ofthe chamber is a sloping guide-wayor ledge7 at the inner end is the down-turned flange or shoulder 8; andnear the outer end is the depending lug or shoulder 9. '10 is thepillow-block, a half-bushing, with its top and sidesshaped -to fit intothe upper portion of the chamber, while its lower surface iscylindrically concavedrto fit upon the journal. v This block 10 isinserted through the open outer end of the j ournal-box,.along theguides 7, to clear shoulder 9 and abutagainst shoulder 8; and :the wholeis then applied upon the journal, as shown in Fig. -1, the shoulder 9thereafter retaining the block in place even when the end-cap is removed(as in Fig. 2).. The sloping guide-ways 7 :are

parallel to each other and lie in the same sloping plane; their innerends rise .to such level as to support the inner end of the pillow-blockin fairly snug contact with the roof of its chamber; while their outerends are sufliciently below the overhanging lug 9 to permit the removalor insertion of the block whenthe spindleis not in place. To remove thepillow-block (when broken or worn), the spindle andjournal-box are firstdisassembled, whereupon the pillow-block drops down (to rest upon thetwo guide- T ways 7), and can be drawn out from the box; thereafter anew block is inserted in position being guided to its inner position.bythe guides 7 and then temporarily held from coming out, until "thespindle and ournal box have been reassembled.

The new thrust-bearing cap 11 is shaped a groove to receivecurving'surface or. cam,

Voted or 0t any convenient manner, so long as'suflicient to fit over theouter end of; the journal-box and coverfitsopening, fitIlCllS providedwith the retaining-11p 5, and

receive the retaining-hp another groove to The face of said cap is 6(when present) shownas'dishedpto extend into the chamher, in position toreceive the end-thrust oi. the journal; and its lower portion has a toride over the lip i5as the 'ca "is closing. The cap maybe pivherwise.secured upon the box in vertical movement is permitted to disengage theretaining-lip o'r lips. But preferably the cap. continuesin an upperportion which is somewhat narrowed,to enter, between two identicalupstanding. pivot-lugs 12, which rise from-the outerend of the box; anda pivot-pin or bolt 13 is passed'through the :two lugs and through avertically-slotted -open1ng 1n theadjacent portion of the cap.

.Als'o' preferably,

"this portionof the cap is enlarged to pro Yde the groove for the lip-6, and acaIn-shoulder to ride over said hp z'whenzthe -capis closing;:and ,the slotted opening maybe enlarged for receiving a spring.P-referably this spring may be primarily of hair-pin shape, with its twomem- 30 ber's formed into helixes that surround the pin, as'indicatedinFig. 3; in which casethe loop (constituting themiddle of the spring) isseated within the recess or enlargement 14 in the head ofthe cap, whilethe'twoends =15 bear against anyfconvenient portion of thebox, asindicated in Figs. land 2. The

tension of the-springtends to force the up- "11; and this thrustv is metby the direct and positive opposition of the fixed bearing-surfaces 5andG, which maintain'thecap firmly and securely against horizontaldisplacement. The newconstruction relieves the pivot-pin of the strain,which is borne en- "tirely; by the two integral lip-portions of 5 thejournal-box itself.

To obtain access to the interior of the journal-box, it is onlynecessary to raise the "cap a slight distance vertically (against thetension of'the spring, when present), sufficient to disengage theretaining-lip or lips,

1 then to swing thecap outward, into the open as indicated by dottedlines to Fig. 1, and

position "indicated by Fig. 2, whereupon the spring forces thecapoutward (with its "shoulder resting upon lip 6) and maintainsthe cap inits raised position. To restore the cap, it is only necessary to forceit slightly inward (against the spring-pressure), so as to unseat theupper shoulder (when present) whereupon the spring iorces the cap down,back into its closed position, the cam-surface or surfaces lifting thecap over the lip or lips,1and,.then permitting the spring to force thegrooves down into engagement and maintain the cap in closed osition, asbefore.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited tothe precise construction and arrangement set forth, but can be embodiedin various forms. It is obvious that some of the features might beomitted, certain parts might be transposed or inverted, and that othermodifications will readily occur to rsons skilledfin the art. Forexample: on y one retaining lip, as 5, mightbe provided; anrordinaryslot-andpin connection. might be employed, either with .or without aspring; thepin might be carried by the .cap, whilethe lugs 7.7. are

slotted; a positive pivot might .be dispensed with, and aspring alonereliedon to maintain the catch-members in engagement; or

some other .form of spring mightbe em-- ployed, or the spring evenomittedaltogether and gravity reliedfonlto take its place but theconstruction set forth in detail has proved extremely satisfactory, and

is thereforepreferred. V 1

Having thus fully described the invention,

what is claimed is:

1. The combination of an open ended'journal-box whose chamber has anon-cylindrical upper portion with; two inclined guideways and twodependingshoulders, and a removable bearing-block resting upon the innerends of said guides and located between said shoulders. V j

l 2. The combination of an open ended journal-box drical upper portionwith two inclined guide-ways and two depending shoulders, the spindle ofa car-axle located in said box, a removable. bearing block resting uponthe whose chamber has a noncylininner ends of said; guides and locatedbetween said shoulders to rest HPQB' Said spindle, and releasable meansfor closing the end of said box and affording an end-bearing 'for'theend of said spindle.

3. The combination of an openended V journal-box whosej chamber has'aninclined guideway and adepending-shoulder, and a removable bearing-blockresting upon the inner end of said guideand adjacent said shoulder. 4.The combination or an openended journal-box whose chamberhas an inclinedguide-way and a depending shoulder,- a 'removable bearing-block restingupon the inner end of said guide and located adjacent said shoulder torest'upon said spindle,'and a releasable cap. for closing the'end ofsaid box and afiording an end-bearing for the end of said spindle.

In testimony whereofl have signed this specification.

LOUIS D. GREGG.

